Leicester Tigers make the short trip to Coventry on Sunday to face a Wasps side defending an unbeaten home record this season.
Wasps went to the top of the Aviva Premiership table during the festive period and sit one point ahead of defending league champions Saracens. They have won their last 18 games in all tournaments on home soil.
Tigers, who are in fifth place, have won three of their six away games in the league and will be led for the first time by head coach Aaron Mauger this weekend.
Wasps won at Welford Road in September and are chasing a first double over their visitors since 2008/09, though Tigers have recorded a previous victory at the Ricoh Arena, winning 26-21 there on their first visit in May 2015 despite playing much of the game with 14 men. Click here to recall the details from that fixture.
Manu Tuilagi joins the injury list for Tigers, who are still without Mathew Tait, Telusa Veainu, JP Pietersen and Matt Toomua in the backline and forwards Dom Barrow, Tom Croft, Marcos Ayerza, Fraser Balmain, Logovi’i Mulipola and Michele Rizzo.
Wasps welcome James Haskell and Simon McIntyre into their matchday squad after long-term injury. Both are named among the replacements as Haskell prepares for his first appearance of the season after a toe injury and McIntyre returns from three months on the sidelines due to an ankle problem.
Preparing for his first game in charge of team affairs following the departure of director of rugby Richard Cockerill, head coach Mauger said: “The things we can control are how we prepare and how we perform. If we prepare well we can perform well against an in-form Wasps side.
“We still have a great infrastructure in our club and our job as coaches, staff and players is to make sure we perform. We are four points outside the top four, we have a good group of players and leaders, and we just have to find some consistency and some confidence.”
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: “The clubs have enjoyed healthy rivalry over the decades and there is a little bit of added spice now we are also neighbours, both battling it out to finish in the top part of the table.
“We’ve worked hard to get to the top of the table at the turn of the year, but it’s at the end of the season you really want to be up there. There are still a lot of things we have to improve on and that’s our aim this weekend.”
Referee on Sunday is Craig Maxwell-Keys.
Tigers will wear the club’s alternate kit at the Ricoh Arena.
There is live coverage of Sunday's game on BT Sport with kick-off at 3pm.
Tigers are on the road again next weekend with a European Champions Cup trip to Paris to face Racing 92 and return home for the final pool fixture in Europe against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday, January 21 (5.30pm kick-off). Tickets for that fixture are on general sale now at the Tigers ticket office. Book in person at Welford Road or phone 0116 319 8888 (option 2) 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday. Or click here to book online any time.
A Tigers Half Season Ticket is available now, covering admission to the last seven home games in the regular season in league and cups, starting with the game against Glasgow. Prices are from £125 adults, £55 juniors. Click here for more details.
Wasps went to the top of the Aviva Premiership table during the festive period and sit one point ahead of defending league champions Saracens. They have won their last 18 games in all tournaments on home soil.
Tigers, who are in fifth place, have won three of their six away games in the league and will be led for the first time by head coach Aaron Mauger this weekend.
Wasps won at Welford Road in September and are chasing a first double over their visitors since 2008/09, though Tigers have recorded a previous victory at the Ricoh Arena, winning 26-21 there on their first visit in May 2015 despite playing much of the game with 14 men. Click here to recall the details from that fixture.
Manu Tuilagi joins the injury list for Tigers, who are still without Mathew Tait, Telusa Veainu, JP Pietersen and Matt Toomua in the backline and forwards Dom Barrow, Tom Croft, Marcos Ayerza, Fraser Balmain, Logovi’i Mulipola and Michele Rizzo.
Wasps welcome James Haskell and Simon McIntyre into their matchday squad after long-term injury. Both are named among the replacements as Haskell prepares for his first appearance of the season after a toe injury and McIntyre returns from three months on the sidelines due to an ankle problem.
Preparing for his first game in charge of team affairs following the departure of director of rugby Richard Cockerill, head coach Mauger said: “The things we can control are how we prepare and how we perform. If we prepare well we can perform well against an in-form Wasps side.
“We still have a great infrastructure in our club and our job as coaches, staff and players is to make sure we perform. We are four points outside the top four, we have a good group of players and leaders, and we just have to find some consistency and some confidence.”
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: “The clubs have enjoyed healthy rivalry over the decades and there is a little bit of added spice now we are also neighbours, both battling it out to finish in the top part of the table.
“We’ve worked hard to get to the top of the table at the turn of the year, but it’s at the end of the season you really want to be up there. There are still a lot of things we have to improve on and that’s our aim this weekend.”
Referee on Sunday is Craig Maxwell-Keys.
Tigers will wear the club’s alternate kit at the Ricoh Arena.
There is live coverage of Sunday's game on BT Sport with kick-off at 3pm.
Tigers are on the road again next weekend with a European Champions Cup trip to Paris to face Racing 92 and return home for the final pool fixture in Europe against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday, January 21 (5.30pm kick-off). Tickets for that fixture are on general sale now at the Tigers ticket office. Book in person at Welford Road or phone 0116 319 8888 (option 2) 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday. Or click here to book online any time.
A Tigers Half Season Ticket is available now, covering admission to the last seven home games in the regular season in league and cups, starting with the game against Glasgow. Prices are from £125 adults, £55 juniors. Click here for more details.
